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Greek Islands : An Odyssey

Cavo Tagoo in Mykonos

Design Trends 2011 : Metallica Rules

New Forest Metal Work

Another trend that is raging through the design fraternity is the use of metal in all forms and tones as an element. Be it wall cladding in copper, steel in furniture, chrome in fixtures or the allure of bronze in floor tiles and zinc in powder coated finishes. Metal is absolutely everywhere, in almost every form.

Grand Scape Homes

But unlike the recent past, metal has now locked arms with traditional decor and eco friendly furniture to create an eclectic design ethos. In its new unbound avatar it is embracing a world that extends far beyond its minimalist home. A new language is evolving and the dictionary is changing at a fast pace to incorporate new meanings.

Moroccan Mosaic : A Culture of Colour #2

Villa Mabrouka via Interior Design

Design Trends 2011 : Passion for Detail

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Pitti Mosaici

Detailing is the new design mantra. Not restricted to residential and hospitality interiors .Old techniques such as gold leafing, texturing techniques and inlay are being used with new materials to create concepts that blend the traditional with the modern. Materials and methods are being combined in ways and means that have never previously been given such a widespread acceptance in the mainstream. What was hitherto a conceptual liberty used for the few is now a recurring theme in many homes and commercial spaces. A booming economy and confidence has created a much bigger market that is keen to go beyond design ennui and experiment with creativity in every way.

Retail Design : India : Diesel : Shark Design

Diesel is an Italian Fashion brand started by Renzo Rosso. Most of the creative design for the company is credited to Wilbert Das

Not too long ago , Diesel collaborated with Moroso to introduce a Home Collection

The brand is known to kick-ass with its innovative marketing strategies :)

It is also a pioneer in introducing limited edition denim jeans in a gallery atmosphere.

Diesel now has four stores in India, the latest one above is the Delhi outlet at the Ambience Mall in Vasant Kunj.

Design Trends 2011 : New Avatars

Elle Decor

One change that a lot of apartment owners will cheer about is the movement away from mammoth sofas and tables to furniture made in more ‘reasonable’ dimensions! 

‘Think big’ has moved away from furniture and has now found its presence in textiles and floor covering. The repeat is not so repetitive, and the patterns are bold.

Pottery Barn

Leather and wicker have moved out of niche and entered mainstream furniture. Both materials are also being used in many innovative ways 

Studio Art

Garden of Giants

Why is it that when we're outside, we create spaces that remind us of being inside, and when we're inside we (well, definitely me) create spaces that remind us of the outside?  Outside we make "outdoor living" spaces, treehouses, fun sheds, outdoor kitchens, patios with rugs, etc...  and inside we want our windows wide open to reveal views of the outdoors, and we use natural materials & objects to bring nature in.  I'm really not sure why but I guess I'd say it's because we want the best out of both??  As humans, the outdoors is beautiful & awe-inspiring but maybe it's just in our DNA to make shelters and/or nest?  I'm guessing not everyone has this bug, but for those of you who have it, you know it's like that pregnant "nesting" stage for life. 

{image from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Blog}

I loved my treehouse as a kid... I seriously used to sweep it!! (and you know I hate cleaning)  Yet just as much, I loved sleeping with my windows open so that it felt almost like I was outside.  I loved camping outside but I loved going into the cozy tent to sleep. 

{our Girl Scout tents were soooo not this great... image from http://www.prospectortent.com/products.html }

Anyway, when it gets warmer out, my mind always goes to gardening & enjoying the yard.  Last year we planted wisteria along our fence and are a backwards with it, but are adding a pergola to our gate for it to grow over this year.  There's something about outdoor spaces that are just a tiny bit enclosed & private that I love. 

{image from Marwood Hill Gardens}

This year, we're planning something really special for the kids (&us)  thanks to this book my mother-in-law gave me:

{by Sharon Lovejoy found here}

It's called Roots Shoots Buckets & Boots and I am craaaaazy about it.  Seriously, it makes you want to go out and start digging.  I planted my daffodil bulbs this weekend after taking a peruse.  (I know I'm a couple of months late on that but I heard from  good source that they might have a shot?? )  In her book, Sharon Lovejoy outlines 12 different types of gardens you can make with y our kids.  (And honestly, whether you haev kids or not, these gardens are a-mazing.)   I want to do a couple this year but the one we're definitely doing is the "Garden of Giants."   It's actually a "living fort" that the kids (and me!) can play in.  They crawl through a tunnel of beans to get to a teepee of gourds surrounded by a giant pumpkin patch. 

{image from ArtisanArt.biz... how gorgeous are these hanging gourds?!!}

You have to wait to start planting until it stays above 70 on most days so we'll need to wait a while for that (umm... yeah snow storm coming tonight what???!!) but I CANNOT WAIT!!!  For anyone interested in joining us, you can buy pre-done seed packets for the Garden of Giants here or you can get them on your own. 

I'm curious to see how this turns out.  I love to garden {mostly on weekends} but am an impatient & neglectful gardener...  things that don't need a lot of tending (or um watering) do really well at our house.  So we'll see how this goes.  If it works, I'll take lots of pictures.



If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Old Barn Rehab

A few shots from an old Canadian barn moved to Connecticut and then rehabbed with some fresh modern elements. The detail and quality in the craftsmanship is so good. The rough hewn floors and walls, along with the flagstone fireplace sets the tone for the entire place. The lighter colors and smooth finishes help balance the overall feel.

via Style At Home

T.I.P Decorating Guide : Balcony Makeovers #1

Micheli Design

You may think that a small balcony does not give you an opportunity for too many possibilities in terms of beautifying the space, but that is not the case. A few additions and you will have an inviting balcony. The first step is to decide on some kind of theme. It could be a season or it could be a certain kind of look you would like. Once you have that in mind, the rest will come more easily.

Anya Hoffman

Painting the wall of your balcony in a bright colour to match your theme would liven the space. You could paint the wood trims, mouldings and railing in a contrast colour as well. The second step is to focus on the most obvious way to liven up a balcony—plants. This is the most important exercise when you plan on decorating your balcony. You could pick out the space for potted plants, as well as some additions like a trellis, climbers and hanging planters. Choose the plants according to the kind of look you want. Since floor space is limited pay a lot of attention to vertical space and use it the best way you can. It does not matter if you have a great view, as long as the space looks inviting. Plants should be used in various levels all around the balcony instead of just having a row of potted plants. Levels will also make the space look much bigger than it is, while adding colour vertically.

Weekend!

I will be relaxing with my family over the next few days! We will be doing some organizing and pre-spring cleaning! Have a great long weekend!!!

Vintage Tile

Classic, vintage, backsplash tile. They're by Heath Ceramics and these are from their Dimensional Collection. A very cool 1950's inspired collection with a little modern/edgy feel.

photos via Remodelista

West Coast Homes & Design

This is an article that was just published in West Coast Homes & Design.

PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm writing about WHAT'S HOT
in the world of interior design, architecture, lifestyle, and travel.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Shutter Space : Sanjay Nanda

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Click here to know more about the event

Sanjay Nanda is a graphic designer by profession and passionate about photography. Photography helps him release his intense creative urges and communicate what he feels and sees. His experience as a visual designer helps him see beauty in mundane things. In his images he likes to use the interplay of light, textures, and colours to create unusual and complex forms that seduce the viewer. He has the ability to extract beauty out of ordinary surroundings and convert them into visually appealing images and at the same time using concepts and techniques that are grounded in the domain of fine art.

His photographic process involves a persistent scouring of the urban landscape for the uniquely unseen; compelling moments of light, texture and form; and, often times, decaying elements in the constructed environment. His works are attempts to extract and synthesize the less seen, yet strangely elegant, fragments of the urban landscape in order to reconstruct an urban aesthetic. 

Sanjay shoots a variety of subjects. He looks for scenes that he can compose in a thought provoking way and colour combinations that somehow stir him without attempting to edit the work or discriminate when in the field. When he gets back to his studio, he sorts through his images, and then chooses the ones that have a staying power for him. He is not interested in merely reproducing a particular scene or image photographically; he is more interested in collecting the raw visual materials that allow him to explore the inherent dynamics and tensions of the picture plane. 

His select works are part of various private collections.

His style could be termed as ‘expressive minimalism’. Interpreting the things he sees by removing all the descriptive clutter, to express meaning to others. It is photography that interprets, rather than describes, what we see to others. It tells a story, going beyond conveying information for its own sake. By expressing our own metaphorical point of view about what we see, we can communicate ideas to others, triggering emotional, intellectual, and imaginative responses. It is a combination of:  Abstraction, Incongruity, and Human Values. Abstraction removes literal, descriptive clutter and hones an image down to its essence and encourages unlimited thinking. Incongruity presents elements that seem to be at odds with their context and creates contrasts and juxtapositions that stimulate both the emotions and the imagination. Human values convey the emotions, beliefs, traditions and knowledge that we understand and share as humans.

Sanjay also has an exclusive gallery for photography in New Delhi.The gallery was set upto create a niche showcase space for photographers who have a passion for the medium and would like to share their work. 

Photographers with a 'name' are showcased/represented anywhere but serious 'not yet a name' talent is often ignored by mainline galleries, even by those specializing in showcasing photography or are charged very high rentals with bookings years in advance. Indipix aims  to open doors for such talent.

They encourage all photographers to showcase their talent: from upcoming amateurs to serious hobbyists and on to professional fine art photographers. For Indipix the purity of the medium is most important. To satisfy the diverse requirements of photographers and the quality of artworks that they want to present, Indipix has worked out different options for showcasing/stocking artwork at the Gallery.

Design Trends 2011 : Texture and Tone

Lumina Interiors

While metal finds itself being renewed in many forms, texture and tone carry the torch of contemporary design. Absolutely nothing is flat anymore. It is all about layers, textures and hues. From fabrics and flooring to walls and woodwork. Nothing escapes its attention. Wallpaper and textured walls are here to stay. At least for a while.

Design House Progress

First I just want to say THANK YOU to all of the amazing comments you left on the last post.  We're definitely not alone and it's nice to know that.  I nodded, laughed and even teared up at some of your comments from yesterday's post.  Each & every piece of advice is awesome so if you didn't get the chance to read the comments, check them out. 

On a totally unrelated note, things have been progressing with the DC Design House.  In case you don't know how it works (I didn't until just a couple of months ago) I thought I might explain the process.  In December, just before Christmas, the house was open for two days so that designers could drop by, choose a room and measure & photograph it.  (Like I've mentioned before, the house is amazing.)  I was seriously nervous.  It's an interesting feeling to be in a room with other designers, measuring the same space.  Everyone was really nice though & there were no reality-TV drama moments or anything like that. 

{See the balcony?!! Looooove this house... and this room.}

We had a couple of weeks to put together a design proposal & board for the room we'd chosen.  We scampered around making phone calls for donations and getting everything just right.  We had an artist do renderings of our proposed space and we submitted the board and portfolio to be reviewed by the Committee.  That was on January 7th. 

We had to wait until January 31st to find out if we had been selected or not.  Twenty-four days doesn't seem like a long time, but by the last 3 or 4 days I could barely stand it.  I got a phone call that I had been selected (eeeek) and then it was time to get to work.  I got a different room from the one I had submitted a design for (I am thrilled with my new room!! :) so I had to change the design a bit.  (The room determines its design just as much as what someone wants to do with it.)

I got the chance to measure the new room and meet there with our contractors.  The new room needs something a little different than the what the first room needed, so I tweaked the palette and of course reworked the floorplan & furnishings to fit the new space.  Here's a quick pic of the original board being torn to bits as we tried to salvage the pieces of it that we are reusing in our new room:

{Don't get too attached to anything other than the Peter Dunham Fig Leaf fabric you see in the pic}

I created a new plan for the new room and we finished up the board today.  It'll be shown on Bare Bones Day, which is when people can tour the house to see it "before."  I'll be there and if you live in the area & are free, you should come check it out!  (info here)  We've spent the past couple of weeks sourcing the pieces that will go into the room, finalizing plans, and securing donations from generous companies & contractors.  It's been crazy because it's not a normal house you can just go to whenever you need something.  There are specific times you can go & meet with contractors and everyone needs to be on the same schedule. 

{design house room before}

The Bare Bones Tour is next Saturday and work begins the following Monday.  Our rooms need to be finished by March 31st.  Press Day is April 1st and the Design House opens on Saturday, April 8th!! 

I'll keep you posted as our room progresses.  First up is removing the current wallpaper!

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Hillside Architecture

This is Altis. It's a group of private residences on Mammoth Mountain in California and they are just crazy, inside and out. They've been constructed on the hillside and take full advantage of some killer views.

A little edgy on the inside, they boast a modern design with a warm welcoming feel. You'll find a ton of Mahogany on the interior and clear California cedar cladding the exterior.

The Travertine may look cold here but not in this place. No way. All the floors in the entire residence have radiant heating. Heated floors are amazing no matter what climate or location you are in.

The main entry is on the top of 3 floors and opens up into a view just like this one. The architect was truly passionate about the design as well as the environment. They want the residents to be able to fully embrace the natural surroundings as well as the customized amenities of the home. Check this out over at my Thursday guest home, Fred Flare as well.

photos via Contemporist

Dreaming of Summer

Summer is just around the corner – or is this wishful thinking on my part? At this time of year my thoughts turn to thinking of summer and imagining the warmth and taking time to relax outside. So my attention was rightfully piqued when I saw these beautiful pieces of furniture. I always look for a theme when I am captivated by images, and these pieces have canopies over them, thereby eliminating the need for an umbrella. I like the fact in design that ‘form follows function’ and especially when function can be made inherently beautiful.  In other words these loungers are self-contained and functionally-integrated escapes from the sun.

 Hemisphere Lounge Chairs,Cocktail and Side Tables, Orbit with Canopy - Richard Frinier for Dedon

  
Daydream Daybeds, Cocktail and Side Tables - Richard Frinier for Dedon

I can just imagine sitting in the warmth in these beautifully designed and functionally-integrated pieces of furniture.
What about you? Are you dreaming about summer?

PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm writing about WHAT'S HOT
in the world of interior design, architecture, lifestyle, and travel.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™